Everything about Lake Edward totally explained
Lake Edward or
Edward Nyanza is the smallest of the
Great Lakes of
Africa. It is located in the western
Great Rift Valley, on the border between the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and
Uganda, with its northern shore a few kilometers south of the
Equator. The lake was named by the explorer
Henry Morton Stanley in honour of
Prince Albert Edward, The Prince of Wales.
History
Stanley first saw the lake in 1875, and thinking it was part of Lake Albert, named it
Beatrice Gulf. On his second visit in 1888 through 1889, he realized that there were two independent lakes, and gave it its current name. In the 1970s and 1980s, Uganda and
Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) renamed it
Lake Idi Amin or
Lake Idi Amin Dada after Ugandan dictator
Idi Amin. After his overthrow in 1979, the name was changed back to
Lake Edward.
Geography
Topography and drainage
Lake Edward lies at an elevation of 920 metres, is 77 km long by 40 km wide at its maximum points, and covers a total surface area of 2,325 km² (the 15th largest on the continent).
The lake is fed by the
Nyamugasani, the
Ishasha, the
Rutshuru, and the
Rwindi rivers. It empties to the north via the
Semliki River into
Lake Albert.
Lake George to the northeast empties into Lake Edward via the
Kazinga Channel.
The western
escarpment of the Great Rift Valley towers up to 2000 m above the western shore of the lake. The southern and eastern shores are flat
lava plains. The
Ruwenzori Mountains lie 20 km north of the lake.
Volcanism
The region shows much evidence of volcanic activity in the last 5000 years. The
Katwe-Kikorongo and Bunyaruguru Volcanic Fields, with extensive cones and craters, lie either side of the Kazinga Channel on the north-west shore of the lake. It is thought that Lakes George and Edward have been joined as one larger lake in the past, but lava from these fields flowed in and divided it, leaving only the Kazinga Channel as the remnant of the past union. To the south, the
May-ya-Moto thermally active volcano lies 30 km away, and the
Nyamuragira volcano in the western
Virunga Mountains lies 80 km south, but its lava flows have reached the lake in the past.
The similarly-sized Bunyaruguru field on the other side of the Kazinga Channel contains about 30 crater lakes, some larger than Katwe.
Settlements
Lake Edward lies completely within the
Virunga National Park (Congo) and the
Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda) and doesn't have extensive human habitation on its shores, except at
Ishango (DRC) in the north, home to a park ranger training facility. About two-thirds of its waters are in the DR Congo and one third in Uganda. Apart from Ishango, the main Congolese settlement in the south is Vitshumbi, while the Ugandan settlements are Mweya and Katwe in the north-east, near the crater lake of that name, which is the chief producer of salt for Uganda. The Mweya Safari Lodge is the main tourist facility, serving both Lake Edward and Lake Katwe. The nearest cities are
Kasese in Uganda to the north-east and
Butembo in DR Congo, to the north-west, which are respectively about 50 km and 150 km distant by road.
Ecology
Lake Edward is home to many species of fish, including populations of
Bagrus docmac,
Sarotherodon niloticus,
Sarotherodon leucostictus, and over 50 species of
Haplochromis and other
haplochromine species, of which only 8 are formally described. Fishing is an important activity among local residents. Fauna living on the banks of the lake – including chimpanzees, elephants, crocodiles, and lions – are protected by the national parks. The area is also home to many perennial and migratory bird species.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Lake Edward'.
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